Issues (The Saturdays song)

"Issues" is a mid-tempo pop/R&B song performed by British-Irish girl group The Saturdays. The song was written and produced by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. The single was released as the band's third official single, from their first studio album, Chasing Lights. "Issues" was officially released on 5 January 2009 in the United Kingdom. The single gained mixed reviews from pop music critics.[1]

"Issues"
Single by The Saturdays
from the album Chasing Lights
B-side"Beggin'"
Released4 January 2009 (2009-01-04) (digital)
5 January 2009 (2009-01-05) (physical)
GenrePop, R&B
Length3:36 (Radio Mix) 3:38 (Album Version)
LabelPolydor, Fascination
Songwriter(s)Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken
Producer(s)Sturken, Rogers
The Saturdays singles chronology
"Up"
(2008)		 "Issues"
(2009)		 "Just Can't Get Enough"
(2009)
Music video
"Issues" on YouTube

BBC Music stated that the song was very diva-ish, and the band are divas in the making.[2] Upon the release of the single, "Issues" gained a lot of chart success after charting at number four in the United Kingdom and number fourteen in the Republic of Ireland. The single also charted at number twenty-one on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.

Prior to its single release, the lyrics to "Issues" were re-recorded after being misinterpreted as promoting violence. As the lyrics "can't decide if I should slap you or kiss you" left many people misunderstanding the word "slap" as "stab", the lyrics were changed to "can't decide if I should leave you or kiss you".[3]

Release and critical reception

After the single was released and written by Thomas Maitland, The Saturdays were forced to re-record the lyrics of "Issues". Radio stations refused to play the song until it was changed. The song lyrics where changed and it was added in the radio playlist. The original lyrics were "can't decide if I should slap you or kiss you". The band were forced to change the lyrics due to the sounding similarities between "slap you" and "stab you" which they were worried might promote violence. The music video version features the lyrics "slap you or kiss you", while the radio were playing "leave you or kiss you". The single has the radio mix of the song.[3]

"Issues" received mostly mixed reviews from pop music critics. James Masterton of Yahoo! Music described the song as a "drippy mid-Atlantic love ballad" that lacked the "spark, energy and sheer excitement" of the group's past singles. Stating that the single was not as fun as the band's previous two singles.[4] In a review for Allmusic, Jon O'Brien called the track "dated" and wrote that it "sounds like a Max Martin reject from the '90s".[5]

Vanessa White opens the song with the first verse, she sings the first bridge with backing vocals of Mollie King and the second with backing vocals of Frankie Sandford. White and Sandford take lead on the chorus as Una Healy and Rochelle Wiseman take lower harmony's and King takes higher harmony's. Wiseman takes the second verse as Healy takes the middle 8 with backing vocals of Wiseman and King. The final chorus has ad-libs from White.

Chart performance

After the album was released, the single jumped straight into the UK Singles Chart at number eighty-four. And two weeks later dropped out of the top 100 singles.[6] After the release of the single, "Issues" stop up the UK Singles Charts and securing the chart position at number four, on 24 January 2009, it later spend 4 weeks in the UK Official Top 10 Singles and 18 weeks in the UK Official Top 40 Singles. It was then, the band's highest peak position, after charting higher than previous singles "If This Is Love" and "Up". It was their highest non-charity singles until being surpassed by "Forever Is Over".[6]

The single entered the Irish Singles Charts at number thirty-six before moving further up the charts and placing itself at number fourteen. The single remained on the Irish Top 50 Singles for eleven weeks. Prior to the singles release, the band also released the song on the European Billboard, where it gained a peak position of number twenty-one, at the time, it was the second best chart success the band had on the Europe.

In the middle of 2009, "Issues" was also gained a certification of Silver by British Phonographic Industry, it was The Saturdays second single to gain a certification of silver, after selling over 200,000 copies in the UK.[7]

Music video

Background
One frame of the video for "Issues" where The Saturdays standing around a blazing fire.

"Issues" music video was filmed in the United Kingdom at Kent. While it was directed by Petro. Prior to the release of "Up", the "Issues" music video was filmed before "Up" as the band were planning on releasing it as the second official single, but the label decided otherwise. The music video was filmed on 13 November 2008. Throughout the video, the band are seen standing at the shaw of the sea-side, with different coloured coats on. There are many scenes where the band is seen looking through windows of a house. The band are pictured wearing a number of different outfits throughout the whole video. They have different colour umbrella. The video premiered 5 December 2008.

Synopsis

As the video starts, it's an image of the old fashioned beach house, where the band are seen inside of late on in the video. As White starts singing on the music video, she is looking out of beach house window, at her band mates who are on the beach. The band are seen wearing winter clothes from Next And They Decided To Wear Them On A Cream Cold Day With Them Wearing Scarfs To Keep Them Wrapped Up Warm For A Nice Song As The Song Was Related To Freezing Cold Weather Plus At The End Una Sang to keep her warm. While Wrapped Up In Her Bright Red Scarf To Keep Herself Nice And Wrapped Up Warm For A Chilly Cold Day. Sandford is seen laying on a sheep skin rug, in front of the fire. As the chorus kicks in the band walk down the beach front singing along to the song. As the first chorus of the song finished, the band are seen walking from the beach house with different coloured umbrellas walking in a straight line, while Wiseman has a pink umbrella, Healy has a green one, King has a blue one, White a purple one and Sandford a red one. As the lyrics sing I keep building a wall over my heart, the band stand behind a white fence, which could represent the wall between the men and their hearts. As the video is starting to come to an end, the band are seen standing around a blazing fire, which could represent the girls trying to burn away all the memory of their heart-break. The Alternative Was The Band To Wear Bobble Hats Blue, Green, White, Purple & Cream.

Formats and track listings

UK CD single
(Released 5 January 2009 (2009-01-05))

  1. "Issues" (Radio Mix) - 3:36
  2. "Beggin'" (Bob Gaudio, Peggy Farina) - 3:12

Digital single #1
(Released 4 January 2009 (2009-01-04))

  1. "Issues" (Radio Mix) - 3:36
  2. "Issues" (Vince Clarke Club Mix) - 5:45

Digital single #2
(Released 3 January 2009 (2009-01-03))

  1. "Issues" (Radio Mix) - 3:36
  2. "Issues" (Digital Dog Club Mix) - 5:57

The Remixes

  1. "Issues" (Digital Dog Radio Edit) - 3:05
  2. "Issues" (Digital Dog Club Mix) - 5:57
  3. "Issues" (Vince Clarke Radio Mix) - 3:47
  4. "Issues" (Vince Clarke Club Mix) - 5:45

Revamped Version

  1. "Issues" (Radio Mix) - 3:36
  2. "Beggin' - 3:09
  3. "Issues" (Live MTV Nokia Session) - 3:50
  4. "Issues" (Digital Dog Radio Edit) - 3:02
  5. "Issues" (Vince Clarke Radio Edit) - 3:45
  6. "Issues" (Digital Dog Club Mix) - 5:53
  7. "Issues" (Vince Clarke Club Mix) - 5:43

Charts and certifications

Personnel

The following people contributed to "Issues":[14]

  • Evan Rogers – production
  • Carl Sturken – production, instrumentation
  • Jeremy Wheatley – additional production, mixing
  • Al Hemberger – mixing
  • Dick Beetham – mastering
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References
  1. "Discography" Archived 15 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine. TheSaturdays.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  2. Small, Elle J. "BBC - Music - Review of The Saturdays - Chasing Lights".
  3. Williams, Andrew. "Frankie Sandford saves her pop career with Saturdays". Metro. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  4. Masterton, James. "Chart Watch: Week Ending January 10th 2009". Yahoo! Music. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  5. O'Brien, Jon. "Chasing Lights > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  6. "Official Charts Company: Issues". OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "The Saturdays – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for The Saturdays. (subscription required)
  9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Issues". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  10. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  12. "Charts Plus Year end 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  13. "British single certifications – The Saturdays – What About Us". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 March 2017. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type What About Us in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  14. "Issues" (CD single liner notes). Fascination Records. January 2009.
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